Even the barest novice can appreciate and learn from the exquisite artistry and logic in the conceptual masterpieces to be found here. Join some of Chess.com's finest teachers on a tour of the most dazzling and instructive ches...
I’ve talked to countless chess fans over the years and though all serious chess players have their favorite chess heroes, many of them aren’t in touch with the human side of the chess legends. This is the first of two articles showing some of the ...
GM Jacek Stopa is here to show you how to win with the aggressive Evans Gambit. Few openings have a more swashbuckling reputation than the Evans Gambit which was even invented by the sea captain, William Evans, in 1827! Jacek is a practitioner of ...
"Thank you, GM Serper for this profound statement. I would have never guessed it on my own!" Admit this was your first thought when you read the title of this article. Yes, chess is obviously not checkers and yet, when I was a kid, I heard this ...
One of the tips that you will hear from top-level players over and over again is that you MUST study your own games. Chess.com is here to do some of the hard work for you as the best coaches on Chess.com go over member games. They will highlight t...
Botvinnik had regained the title from Smyslov in their 1958 rematch, but soon he had a new challenger: the fiery Latvian player Mikhail Tal. Tal had appeared out of nowhere, and within a few years went from an unknown young player to a challenge...
If it feels like we haven't had a Death Match since the early summer, that's because we haven't! Back when GM Maxim Dlugy claimed his title, the days were at their longest and outdoor barbecues were in full swing. But don't fret! As th...
Though I’ve written about chess psychology in my book (How to Reassess Your Chess 4th Edition – almost 90 pages on the subject!) and in articles on Chess.com, I will continue to do so from time to time since it’s an ext...
Sometimes we can observe a peculiar situation in chess: one of the pieces on the board practically doesn't exist. Yes, it is there: we can see it, we can feel it, but we cannot move it. Therefore, in most of the cases, for a practical purpose su...
Although Vasily Smyslov was only the world champion for one year, he is nevertheless remembered as among the greatest players ever, and his matches with Mikhail Botvinnik dominated chess in the 1950s. All in all, they played three matches, with ...
Caveat: The terms I use in the below essay are strictly my own invention and are not, by any means, generally accepted nomenclature. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * \ Chess Comes of Age / Around the end of the 15th ce...
After World War Two, the chess world (and the world in general) was abruptly changed. It is very clear that a demarcation line can be placed at 1945 between the old classical chess and modern chess. There were many changes in the chess world aro...
Q: What do Leigh Franklin James, Paul Hugo, Paula Little, Paula Minton, Sylvia Sharon, Kenneth Harding, Marie De Jourlet, Lana Preston, Paul H. Little, Jack Warren. D.R. Mason, Hugo Paul, Jack Warren, Dr. Lamb Library, Dr. Guenter Klow, Dorothy ...
I’ve written several articles that discuss the dynamics of chess teacher and student, and the kinds of things a student should expect from lessons. Though the teacher will give his charge a study program, there is nothing more useful and ins...
As beginners, we learn myriad principles that guide our chess development and steer us away from common positional vices: Develop knights before bishops. Do not move a piece twice in the opening unless strictly necessary. Knights on the rim ...
Chess.com member Nietsoj wrote: “I read your recent post where you answered a question about aiming for a 2000 rating. Just as so many other amateur players, I have the same goal, and I am wondering what a realistic training program would look li...
Chess.com fans have marveled at my uncanny ability to play pathetic chess, and yet win all the same. That won’t be the case today. Unlike the first two games featured in this column, this next game boasts the logical and just conclusion of...
"A master cogitates carefully, perhaps a half-hour on a move. Finally, he chooses the correct square for the correct piece and places it there. A grand master is much more skillful. He hardly thinks at all; he throws the piece into the air and it ...
Like Emanuel Lasker, his successor, Jose Raul Capablanca, was less of a theoretician and more of a keen practical player. Lasker utilized his great psychological understanding and clever trickiness, while Capablanca's skill rested in his innate un...
A Superior Tactician Chess.com member Mzeekimaro wrote: “I am a big fan of you and your chess books. I am rated 1581 by FIDE. I want to be very good at tactics. What do you recommend I do? I want to be labeled as a superior tactician.&rdqu...
On March 1, 2013, at the age of 13 years and 8 months, Chinese super-talent Wei Yi earned his final grandmaster norm at the Reykjavik Open. I was deeply impressed by his games from the event, especially by his 33-move victory against Maxime Vachie...
The second world champion, Emanuel Lasker, is a difficult one to include in this series, but it must be done. There is hardly any opening to which he is closely attached. He played a wide variety of solid, "common-sense" openings, w...
If Buckle had entered the Tournament list [in 1851], and been pitted against Staunton, I think he would have proved victor, as the fine edge of Staunton's play was then taken off, a fact amply demonstrated in his matches with Anderssen and Willia...
Chess.com member Mahilewetsll asked: “Hello. I’m almost 17 years old. What can I reach in chess? How long will I need to do it?” Dear Mr. Mahilewetsll, I get this kind of question a lot (from people 10 to 60). Think about this in a logical manner...
